Cariou & McClanahan Join 'BROADWAY BACKWARDS 4' 2/9 , Event Nearly Sold Out

Tony Award Winner Len Cariou (Sweeney Todd, A Little Night Music) and Rue McClanahan (The Women, TV's "The Golden Girls") have just been added to the Broadway Backwards concert benefiting the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center.

They join the previously announced cast that includes Sandra Bernhard (I'm Still Here... Damn It!, TV's "Rosanne"), Mario Cantone (TV's "Sex and the City"), Alan Cumming (Cabaret), Gina Gershon (Showgirls), Whoopi Goldberg (Producer: Thoroughly Modern Millie, TV's "The View"), Florence Henderson (Fanny, TV's "The Brady Bunch"), Cheyenne Jackson (Xanadu), Aaron Lazar (Les Misérables), Maureen McGovern (Little Women, Nine), Sally Mayes (She Loves Me), Ron Palillo (Hot L. Baltimore, TV's "Welcome Back, Kotter"), Kate Reinders (Good Vibrations), Jai Rodriguez (TV's "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy"), Christopher Sieber (Spamalot), John Tartaglia (Avenue Q), Marty Thomas (Xanadu), Tony Yazbeck (Gypsy, A Chorus Line), and TV's "Ugly Betty" stars Becki Newton and Michael Urie.

And joining the company of Broadway Backwards as Musical Director this year is Paul Staroba. Paul has served as the associate conductor for Grey Gardens (Broadway) and the Playwrights Horizons production of Saved (Playwrights Horizons). He can be seen this spring at the new musical Happiness (Lincoln Center), also as Associate Conductor.

Only $250 tickets are available; $75 and $150 tickets have sold out. And there are also a very limited number of $1,500 and $5,000 tickets available, which give you preferred seating in the Orchestra and an invitation to the exclusive afterparty, with the cast of performers featured in Broadway Backwards 4.

Broadway Backwards is a star-studded event featuring songs that even those not familiar with Broadway know and love, with a very unique and memorable twist. Instead of seeing a woman sing the iconic "As Long As He Needs Me" from Oliver!, if that song were to be featured in Broadway Backwards, you might see someone like Alan Cumming sing it! The gender-reversed benefit concert extravaganza is one of the Center's most anticipated events of the year, and on Monday, February 9, 2009, Broadway Backwards returns to Broadway's American Airlines Theatre.

Back at the creative and directorial helm is its creator Robert Bartley. And we are thrilled to welcome back John Kander and Terrence McNally as event co-chairs. Our Platinum Sponsors this year are HBO and the New York Marriott Marquis. For a full list of corporate sponsors please visit www.gaycenter.org.

 

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.